Resilient aerodynamic trailer skirts

ABSTRACT

A resilient aerodynamic skirt assembly is provided, the aerodynamic skirt assembly comprising a skirt panel adapted to connect to a trailer to route airflow along the trailer, skirt supports adapted to connect the skirt to a trailer are also provided with a plurality of resilient struts providing lateral support to the skirt panel, the resilient struts allowing substantial lateral deflection of the skirt panel away from an aerodynamic configuration. A method of assembling an aerodynamic skirt assembly and an aerodynamic skirt kit are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application relates to and is a divisional application ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/360,038, filed Jan. 26, 2009,entitled AERODYNAMIC TRAILER SKIRTS, that claims priority from U.S.Provisional Patent application No. 61/024,217, filed Jan. 29, 2008,entitled AERODYNAMIC TRAILER SKIRT.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to aerodynamic trailer skirts, and also relatesto a resilient skirt and attachment mechanism thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Road tractors are used to pull road trailers on roads to transportcargo. Aerodynamic apparatuses are installed on the road tractor and/oron the road trailer in order to reduce the aerodynamic air drag andimprove fuel efficiency.

Trailer skirts made of rigid materials are installed on both sides of aroad trailer to help manage the flow of air around and underneath thetrailer. Brackets, also made of rigid material, are affixed to thetrailer to secure the skirts positioned thereto. These skirts aresecured to the bottom portion of the trailer, or on the sides of thetrailer's floor, to ensure proper positioning when the vehicle ismoving.

People who are familiar with the trucking industry know that trailersare subject to hazardous road conditions. The skirts, because of theirposition under the trailer's floor and their proximity with the road,are significantly vulnerable and might easily enter in contact withsurrounding obstacles. The brackets holding the skirts, when put undersignificant stress, plastically bend and/or break to effect the skirts'position in respect to the road trailer thus reducing the efficiency ofthe skirts. Moreover, the skirt itself might bend and/or break if theycontact a foreign object. This also increases the operation cost and themaintenance time that is required.

The shape of the skirts, and their respective positions on the roadtrailer, have a significant effect on the aerodynamics efficiency of theroad trailer.

Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an improved aerodynamicskirt assembly over the existing art. There is a need in the art forsuch a resilient skirt assembly that can be easily installed andeconomically manufactured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one aspect of the present invention to alleviate one or more ofthe drawbacks of the background art by addressing one or more of theexisting needs in the art.

Accordingly, one object of one or more embodiments of this inventionprovides an improved trailer skirt over the prior art.

An object of the invention provides a skirt assembly adapted to beinstalled on a road trailer to reduce the aerodynamic drag produced bythe movement of the road trailer when pulled by a road tractor. Theskirt assembly comprising a skirt panel sized and designed to channelair along the trailer. The skirt assembly, once installed on the roadtrailer, being substantially vertically disposed under the road trailerbetween the road trailer wheels and the trailer supports (and could evenbe extended in front of the trailer supports) with a curved shapedefined from the front of the skirt panel to a distance of about between1.5 meter to 3.5 meters.

One object of the invention provides a resilient skirt assembly that isadapted to bend when it contacts a foreign object and recovers itsoriginal position and shape thereafter.

One other object of the invention provides a resilient skirt assemblythat can be easily installed and economically manufactured.

Another object of the invention provides a skirt panel adapted to beinstalled on a road trailer with a rear edge disposed next to theforwardmost road trailer rear wheel to keep a gap therebetween to aminimum. The skirt panel being adapted to forwardly extend next to theroad trailer support

Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides askirt assembly made of composite materials offering a significant rangeof elastic deformation.

Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides aresilient strut adapted to secure a skirt panel to a road trailer, thestrut being made of a resilient material adapted to sustain significantdeformation and adapted to resiliently regain its original position.

Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention providesstrut supports made of non-metallic material.

One other aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides atrailer skirt that is sized and designed to allow a temporary deflectionof, inter alia, a bottom portion of the skirt panel.

A further aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides afastening system for easily securing the skirt panel to the trailer; thefastening system uses a limited number of parts to reduce the assemblytime and the weight added to the trailer.

A further aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides askirt assembly comprising a plurality of support angles adapted tosecure the skirt panel to the road trailer.

According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments,support angles made of composite material is provided.

According to an aspect of the present invention provides a resilientstrut shaped in one piece.

According to another aspect of the present invention is provided aresilient strut made of composite materials.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a resilient struthaving a constant section.

A further aspect of one or more embodiments provides a resilient strutadapted to be connected to the skirt panel at an angle.

One additional aspect of the present invention provides an opening inthe skirt panel adapted to allow access to a fuel tank locatedunderneath the road trailer, the opening being adapted to be optionallyprovided with a door.

Another additional aspect of the present invention provides a skirtpanel composed of a plurality of skirt panel modules, at least one panelmodule being adapted to be removed or pivoted about a hinged mechanismto allow access under the road trailer.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a substantiallyprogressive curvature on the forward portion of the skirt panel.

One other aspect of the invention provides a method of installing askirt assembly on a road trailer comprising installing fastening aportion of a skirt panel substantially on the edge of a road trailerfloor and securing a forwardmost portion of the skirt panel at apredetermined position on the trailer to define the shape of the skirtpanel.

Another aspect of the invention provides a radius on the skirt paneladapted to mate the shape of the road trailer wheel to reduce the airgap therebetween.

One another aspect of the invention provides a skirt panel extensionadapted to selectively reduce the gap between the road trailer wheelsand the skirt panel when the road trailer wheels, disposed on a moveabletrailer buggy, are longitudinally moved about the road trailer to changethe load distribution of the road trailer.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an aerodynamic skirtadapted to be mounted to a trailer, the aerodynamic skirt comprising askirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion, the frontportion being adapted to be proximally mounted toward a center of thetrailer, the rear portion being adapted to be substantiallylongitudinally mounted to the trailer.

One other aspect of the present invention provides a method ofinstalling a skirt assembly on a trailer, the method comprising securingupper supports to the trailer, securing a skirt panel to the uppersupports, and securing struts between the trailer and the skirt panel.

An aspect of the present invention provides a skirt assembly kitcomprising a skirt panel adapted to be disposed on a trailer to routeair about the road trailer, a plurality of upper supports adapted tosecure the skirt panel to the road trailer and a plurality of strutsadapted to secure the skirt panel to the road trailer.

One additional aspect of the invention provides a resilient aerodynamicskirt adapted to be substantially longitudinally mounted to a trailer,the resilient aerodynamic skirt comprising a skirt panel defining afront portion and a rear portion, the front portion being adapted to bemounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portionbeing adapted to be mounted toward a rear portion of the trailer in anaerodynamic configuration, the skirt panel being adapted to bend awayfrom the aerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object andto recover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of installinga resilient skirt assembly on a trailer, the method comprising securinga skirt panel to the trailer; and securing at least one resilient strutbetween the trailer and the skirt panel, the at least one resilientstrut maintaining the skirt panel in an aerodynamic configuration, theat least one resilient strut allowing the skirt panel to bend away fromthe aerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object and torecover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a resilient skirtassembly kit comprising a skirt panel adapted to be disposed on atrailer to aerodynamically route air along the trailer; and a pluralityof resilient struts adapted to secure the skirt panel to the trailer.

Other objects and further scope of applicability of the presentinvention will become apparent from the detailed description givenhereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only,since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope ofthe invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdetailed description.

Additional and/or alternative advantages and salient features of theinvention will become apparent from the following detailed description,which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, disclosepreferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings which form a part of this originaldisclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a road tractor and a road trailer with askirt assembly secured thereto;

FIG. 2 is a left elevational view of the road tractor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the road tractor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a left-front perspective view of a portion of a floor sectionof the road trailer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the floor section of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a right elevational section view of a portion of the roadtrailer and the skirt assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational section view of a portion of the roadtrailer and the skirt assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of a portion of the securing mechanismof the skirt to the road trailer's floor;

FIG. 9 is a section view of a portion of the road trailer's floor withthe securing mechanism attached thereto;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevational section view of a portion of the skirt'ssecuring mechanism;

FIG. 11 is a rear elevational section view of a portion of the skirt'ssecuring mechanism;

FIG. 12 is a rear elevational section view of an alternate embodiment ofa portion of the skirt' securing assembly;

FIG. 13 is a rear elevational section view of an alternate embodiment ofa portion of the skirt' securing assembly of FIG. 12 when deflected;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a road tractor and a road trailer witha skirt assembly secured thereto and a skirt panel module in the openedposition; and

FIG. 15 is a left-front perspective view of a portion of a floor sectionof the road trailer of FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described bellow withreference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a road tractor 10 with a road trailer 20attached thereto equipped with a pair of skirt assemblies 30, installedon each side of the road trailer 20, adapted to deflect and direct theairflow around the road trailer 20. Each skirt assembly 30 includes askirt panel 32, adapted to be disposed on the side of the road trailer20, and a plurality of securing members adapted to secure the skirtpanel 32 to the road trailer 20. The securing members are notillustrated on FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and will be discussed in more detailslater in this specification. Once installed on the road trailer 20, theskirt assembly 30 helps channel the flow of air around the road trailer20 to reduce the air drag of the vehicle when the road trailer 20 moveson the road, pulled by the road tractor 10.

The skirt assembly 30 of the present embodiment is mostly located underthe road trailer 20, between the wheels 12 of the road tractor 10 andthe wheels 26 of the road trailer 20. The skirt panels 32 canalternatively extend forward up to the trailer supports 14 of the roadtrailer, and be secured thereto, thus preventing complex skirt panel 32arrangements through the trailer supports 14. The skirt panels 32 aresubstantially vertically positioned on each side of the road trailer 20with a clearance with the ground by illustratively about 15-25centimeters (about 6 to 10 inches). The air management around thetrailer 20 provided by the skirt assembly 30 reduces the air dragcreated by the road trailer 20 by directing the flow of air around theroad trailer 20. The flow of air would otherwise turbulently move aroundand below the road trailer 20 to create substantial air drag. Theairflow management around the road trailer 20 provided by the skirtassembly 30 helps maintain laminar airflow around the road trailer 20that helps diminish fuel consumption of the road tractor 10. The skirtassembly 30 also improves the safety of the vehicle by providing abarrier that can significantly prevent foreign objects to get under theroad trailer 20.

The skirt panel 32 can also be used to display advertising thereon. Eachskirt panel 32 provides additional display area in addition to the roadtrailer's wall 22.

As illustrated, the skirt panel 32 is shaped with an optionalprogressive height from the forwardmost portion 34. The skirt panels 32can alternatively also be installed at an angle, in respect to thevertical, on the road trailer 20 to change the airflow pattern aroundthe road trailer 20 and more precisely adjust the aerodynamics to aspecific vehicle shape.

It can be appreciated from FIG. 3 that each skirt panel 32 is installeddirectly on the side of the road trailer 20 and, when seen from above,have a front portion 34 that progressively proximally leans toward thecenter 24 of the road trailer 20. The recessed front portion 34 of theskirt panel 32 improves the collection of the turbulent airflowgenerated by the road tractor 10 thus improving the aerodynamicefficiency of the skirt assembly 30. Additional explanation about theshape of the skirt panel 32 will be provided in further details below.

FIG. 4 is a perspective image of the skirt assembly 30 installed on theleft side of a road trailer 20 from which is only illustrated a seriesof frame members 23 forming a portion of the road trailer floor frame22. A series of angle supports 40 are secured to the trailer to securethe juxtaposed skirt panel 32 thereto. The angle supports 40 could beomitted altogether and the skirt panel could alternatively be attacheddirectly to the road trailer 20 without deviating from the scope of thepresent application. The rear portion 36 of the skirt panel 32 ispreferably positioned on the edge of the road trailer's wall 28. It isalso encompassed by the present invention that the skirt panel 32 beinstalled a little in recess about the side of the road trailer 20 toavoid winches, lights, toolbox or ladders located on the side/edge ofthe road trailer 20. In contrast, it can be appreciated that the frontportion 34 of the skirt panel 32 is progressively positioned and securedtoward the center 24 of the road trailer 20. The skirt panel 32 issecured adjacent to the frame 22 with a series of angle supports 40secured to both the frame members 23 and the skirt panel 32. Lower, theskirt panel 32 is secured to the road trailer 20 with a series ofintervening resilient struts 42 also secured to both the frame members23 and the skirt panel 32. Additional details about the angle supports40 and the resilient struts 42 are provided later in reference with FIG.7 through FIG. 11.

Still referring to FIG. 4, it can be appreciated that the upper seriesof holes 35 disposed on a top portion of the skirt panel 32 is used tofasten the skirt panel 32 to respective angle supports 40 that,themselves, are secured to frame members 23 of the road trailer 20. Anumber of connection points between the skirt panel 32 and the roadtrailer 20 are used to ensure the skirt panel 32 is well secured to theroad trailer 20 and will not vibrate or deflect (some deflection can beacceptable under certain conditions) during operation. The series ofholes 35 disposed on a lower portion of the skirt panel 32 are adaptedto fasten to an end of each resilient strut 42. Similarly, the other endof the resilient strut 42 is connected to the frame members 23 of theroad trailer 20 via a fastener mechanism that will be discussed below indetails.

A curved portion 38 is defined on the rear portion 36 of the skirt panel32 and preferably corresponds to the exterior shape of the adjacentwheel 26 of the road trailer 20. In so doing, it is possible to installthe skirt panel 32 close to the wheel 26 without risking any contacttherebetween. The skirt panel 32 should be installed as close aspossible to the road trailer wheels 26 to maximize its efficiency. It ispreferable to leave a distance between the wheel 26 of the road trailer20 and the skirt panel 32 to avoid any risk of interferencetherebetween.

The wheels 26 of a road trailer 20 are commonly adapted to belongitudinally adjustable to distribute the mass of the road trailer 20in a desired fashion. The adjustment of the position of the axels of aroad trailer 20 is desirable, for instance, when a heavy load is carriedor during thaw and freeze periods. In this respect, and to avoidreinstalling the skirt panel 32 in various positions on the road trailer20, it might be desirable to install the skirt panel 32 in respect withthe forwardmost possible position of the axels of the road trailer 20.That would prevent to remove and reposition the skirt panel 32 when thetrolley's 16 position is modified.

The road trailer wheels 26 are mounted on a road trailer buggy 16adapted to move the wheels 26 along a portion of the road trailer'slength to distribute the weight of the road trailer 20 in a desiredfashion. The skirt assembly 30 is preferably permanently secured to theroad trailer 20 taking in consideration the forwardmost position of thetrailer buggy 16. The gap between the skirt panel 32 and the roadtrailer's wheels 26 is however increased when the trailer buggy 16 ismove toward the rear of the road trailer 20 thus likely reducing theaerodynamic efficiency of the skirt assembly 30. The present inventionprovides a skirt panel extension module 33 adapted to reduce the gapbetween the skirt panel 32 and the road trailer's wheels 26 to preventany aerodynamic efficiency reduction. The skirt panel extension modules33 are secured to the road trailer in a similar fashion. The skirt panelextension module 33 can be provided in various lengths to fill gaps ofvarious sizes. They can also be provided as skirt panel extensionmodules 33 kit. An alternate embodiment provides a sliding skirt panelextension 33 that is permanently secured to the road trailer 20 andextendable to the desired length when the trailer buggy 16 is moved.

A skirt panel extension 33, illustrated on FIG. 6, can alternatively beadded between the skirt panel 32 and the wheels 26 when the axles of theroad trailer 20 are located in a rearward position leaving an increaseddistance therebetween to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the skirtassembly 30. A reasonable distance between the skirt panel 32 and thewheels 26 could be between about 15 centimeters and about 30 centimetersalthough a shorter distance, or even a superposition of the skirt panel32 (or skirt panel module(s) 33) over the wheel 26, can be achieved.

FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of the road trailer frame 22. Asmentioned above, it can be appreciated from FIG. 5 that the skirt panel32 is disposed inwardly on the forward portion of the road trailer 20and is progressively located on the edge of the road trailer's wall 28toward the rear end of the road trailer 20. A departure angle support 60and a cooperating forward angle support 64 are secured to the roadtrailer to correctly locate the skirt panel 32 on the road trailer 20.The departure angle support 60 and the forward angle support 64 areinstalled on the trailer 20 prior to install the skirt panel 32. Therear portion 36 of the skirt panel 32 is secured to the road trailer 20up to the departure angle support 60 and then the skirt panel 32 is bentto reach the forward angle support 64 and secured thereto. That bentlocates the skirt panel 32 to the road trailer 20 and defines the shapeof the skirt panel 32 with the desired progressive proximal bent. Theremaining angle support 62 and resilient struts 42 are installedthereafter to further secure the assembly.

The rear portion 36 of the skirt panel 32 is intended to be secured tothe road trailer to leave only a minimum gap with the road trailerwheels 26 to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the skirt assembly30. The skirt panel 32 extends to the front of the road trailer 20 anddefines a curve portion on its front portion 34. A long skirt 32 appearsto be more efficient than a shorter skirt panel 32 and should thereforeextend as far as possible to the front of the road trailer 32. However,for reasons of complexity, the front portion 34 of the skirt panel 32 islikely to stop at the trailer supports 14. It is nonetheless encompassedby the present invention that the skirt panel 32 alternatively extendsin front of the trailer supports 14.

In an embodiment of the invention adapted to fit a standard 16.1 meters(53 feet) road trailer 20 the forward end of the departure angle support60 is located at a distance d₁ from the forward end of the skirt panel32. A forward angle support 64 is secured to the frame at a distance d₂from the side edge of the road trailer 20. Distance d₁ is about between1.5 meter and 3 meters, preferably about between 2 meters and 2.5 metersand most preferably about between 2.1 meters and 2.4 meters. Distance d₂is about between 0.20 meter and 0.40 meter, preferably about between0.25 meter and 0.35 meter and most preferably about 0.27 meter and 0.32meters. More precisely, distance d₁ is preferably about 2.29 meters anddistance d₂ is preferably about 0.31 meter in a preferred embodiment.Corresponding angle supports 40 and resilient struts 42 are installed tofurther secure the skirt panel 32 at the desired position.

A left side elevational view schematically illustrating, on FIG. 6, theoverall size of the skirt panel 32. Length d₃ of the skirt panel 32 isabout between 5 meters and 9 meters, preferably about between 6 metersand 8 meters and most preferably about between 6.5 meters and 7.5meters. The height d₄ Of the skirt panel 32 is about between 0.5 meterand 1 meter, preferably about between 0.6 meter and 0.9 meter and mostpreferably about between 0.7 meter and 0.8 meter. And the forwardmostheight d₅ Of the skirt panel 32 is about between 0.3 meter and 0.7meter, preferably about between 0.4 meter and 0.6 meter and mostpreferably about between 0.45 meter and 0.5 meter. More precisely,distance d₄ is preferably about 0.76 meter and distance d₅ is preferablyabout 0.48 meter in a preferred embodiment.

Alternate embodiments providing a skirt assembly sized and designed tofit road trailers of different lengths can be inferred from thedimensions discussed above. For instance, a skirt assembly can bedesigned to fit a 14.6 meters (48 feet) road trailer 20 or any otherroad trailer 20 sizes and lengths.

As further illustrated on FIG. 6, the skirt panel 32 is provided with aseries of holes 35 used to connect the skirt panel 32 to the roadtrailer 20. The series of holes 34 disposed on the upper portion of theskirt panel 32 is used to connect the skirt panel 32 to the frame 22 ofthe trailer 20 whereas, in a similar fashion, the series of holes 35disposed on the bottom portion of the skirt panel 32 is used to connectthe skirt panel 32 to the frame via a resilient strut 42. The holes 35can be factory pre-drilled or can be drilled during installation toensure desired customization. Rivets or bolts are placed in the holes 35to secure the skirt panel 32 to the trailer frame 22 or the supportassembly. Other appropriate fastening mechanism variations well known inthe art are encompassed by the present disclosure and can be usedwithout departing from the scope of the invention.

An opening 70 is defined in the skirt panel 32 to allow access to anoptional fuel tank disposed on the road trailer 20 to fuel an onboardgenerator or freezer. Such a fuel tank is commonly disposed under thefloor 22 of the road trailer 20 and is most likely hidden by the skirtassembly 30. The opening is sized, designed and located on the skirtpanel 32 to allow access to the fuel tank. A door (not illustrated) canoptionally be added to close the opening 70.

Turning now to FIG. 7 where is illustrated the resilient struts 42 andangles support 40 assembly with the frame 22 and the skirt panel 32. Therear elevational view shows that the front portion 34 of the skirt panel32 is proximally recessed from the left lateral side of the trailer 20by, illustratively, about 30 centimeters. It can also be appreciatedthat the skirt panel 32 is held to the road trailer frame 22 via theseries of angled support 40 on its upper portion. The lower portion ofthe skirt panel 32 is connected to the resilient strut 42 at an angleα₁, which is an angle of about 45° in the present illustrativeembodiment and could be different without departing from the presentdescription.

In one embodiment, the resilient strut 42 has a rectangular section andis made of composite material. Recommended multilayer compositematerial, or reinforced thermoplastic manufactured by TranstexComposites Inc is used in the present embodiment. The composite materialforming the resilient struts 42 of the illustrative example is shaped ina rectangular section to allow the resilient strut 42 to bend when theskirt panel 32 is pushed toward the center of the road trailer 20(proximally) when, for instance, contacting an obstacle or having aforce applied thereon. The resilient strut 42 bends, allowing asignificant displacement of the bottom portion of the skirt panel 32, isadapted to retrieve its original position when the force is removed fromthe skirt panel 32. The resilient strut 42 is preferably made of aone-piece material where both ends are slightly angled 44 to evenlycontact the skirt panel 32 and the road trailer frame member 23. In sodoing, no additional intervening parts are required between theresilient strut 42 and both the skirt panel 32 and the road trailerframe member 23.

The resilient struts 42 of the present embodiment is about 4 millimetersthick and can reach a radius of 20 centimeters without going intoplastic deformation or breaking. Generally, the thinner the resilientstrut 42 is, the shorter will be its maximum radius of curvature. Alateral proximal displacement of about 60 centimeters of the bottomportion of the skirt panel 32 is possible. The lower portion of theskirt panel 32 can even reach, under certain circumstances, a positionparallel with the trailer 20 floor. The skirt assembly 30 and the skirtpanel 32 will recover their original positions when the force causingthe bending is removed. Further, the bending of the resilient struts 42provides energy absorption in case of impact from another vehicle forexample. It can be noted that a distal displacement of the skirt panel32 is possible. A distal displacement of the skirt panel 32 will occurwhen a properly directed force is applied to the skirt panel 32 to bendthe skirt panel 32.

FIGS. 8 and 9 depict with more details the connection mechanism betweenthe resilient struts 42 and the trailer frame members 23. One of theresilient strut 42 ends is juxtaposed on the lower surface of the roadtrailer frame 22. A set of holes, identified with holes axes 54, areused to fasten two clamps 50, one on each side of the frame 22, tosecure the resilient strut 42 to the road trailer frame 22. The clamps50 are illustratively made of a shaped stainless steel plate material toprevent corrosion.

FIG. 10 illustrates the connection between the resilient strut 42 andthe skirt panel 32. The end of the resilient strut 42 is positioned tothe surface of the skirt panel 32 and secured thereto. Any types offasteners 56 can be used to fasten both parts together. Rivets arepreferably used although a bolt could also fit into the holes 54performed in the skirt panel 32 and the resilient strut 42, andillustrated with hole axes 54 to secure the assembly. Glue or resincould alternatively be applied between the resilient strut 42 and theskirt panel 32 to secure the resilient strut 42 and the skirt panel 32together and is also encompassed by the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows the assembly between the upper portion of the skirt panel32 and one of the angled supports 40. The angle support 40 is disposednext to the edge of the road trailer 20 to position the exterior surfaceof the skirt panel 32 significantly co-planar with the lateral wall ofthe road trailer 20. Again, any types of fasteners can be used to fastenboth parts together. Rivets are preferably used but a bolt could alsofit into the holes 34 in the skirt panel 32 and the angled support 40 tosecure the assembly. Here again, glue or resin could alternatively beapplied between the angle support 40 and the skirt panel 32 topermanently secure the angle support 40 and the skirt panel 32 together.

FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 illustrate an alternate embodiment where theresilient strut 42 is fixed to the trailer frame 22 and the skirt panel32 differently. Instead of installing the resilient strut 42 with bothends slightly angled to mate with the skirt panel 32, both ends of theresilient strut 42 are further angled to contact the skirt panel 32 fromthe opposite side. This alternate layout assembly reduces the stress onthe resilient strut 42, when the skirt panel 32 is deflected, forinstance, under a force F, by expending the radius of curvature of theresilient strut 42 throughout the resilient strut 42 ergo significantlyreducing local stress points in the resilient strut 42.

In another unillustrated embodiment, the section of the resilient strut42 has a shape adapted to increase its stiffness. A “U” shape resilientstrut 42 can be manufactured. Alternatively, an embossed portion on aplanar shaped resilient strut 42 can also be manufactured. Preferablythe selected shape should prevent dirt and road debris to keep stuck onthe resilient strut 42. The shape can also be uneven along the length ofthe resilient strut 42 to provide an uneven flex to the resilient strut42.

As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in view of thepresent specification, the nature of the material used to build theskirt panel 32 and the resilient strut 42 can vary. These materials arealso contemplated to fall within the scope of the invention if they leadto the flexibility and resilience required to build a resilient skirtassembly 30.

Turning now to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, illustrating the road tractor 10 andthe road trailer 20. In this embodiment the skirt panel 32 isconstructed with a plurality of skirt panel modules 80. A skirt module86 is adapted to be pivoted about hinges 84 to give access under theroad trailer 20. A support member 82 is also provided to maintain theskirt panel module 86 in its opened position. The support member 82being composed of a suspension means and a damper means.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiments and elements, but, to the contrary, is intended tocover various modifications, combinations of features, equivalentarrangements, and equivalent elements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the dimensions of features ofvarious components that may appear on the drawings are not meant to belimiting, and the size of the components therein can vary from the sizethat may be portrayed in the figures herein. Thus, it is intended thatthe present invention covers the modifications and variations of theinvention, provided they come within the scope of the appended claimsand their equivalents.

1. A resilient aerodynamic skirt adapted to be substantiallylongitudinally mounted to a trailer, the resilient aerodynamic skirtcomprising a skirt panel defining a front portion and a rear portion,the front portion being adapted to be mounted toward a forward portionof the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be mounted toward arear portion of the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration, the skirtpanel being adapted to bend away from the aerodynamic configuration whencontacting a foreign object and to recover its aerodynamic configurationthereafter.
 2. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein theskirt panel is made of composite materials.
 3. The resilient aerodynamicskirt of claim 1, wherein the skirt panel is planar when not installedon the trailer and longitudinally progressively curved when installed onthe trailer in the aerodynamic configuration.
 4. The resilientaerodynamic skirt of claim 1, wherein the skirt panel progressivelybends from a top portion thereof to a bottom portion thereof such thatthe entire skirt panel is stressed when bent away from the aerodynamicconfiguration.
 5. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 1, whereinthe resilient aerodynamic skirt comprises a resilient strut securing theskirt panel to the trailer, the resilient strut being adapted to bendwhen the skirt panel bends away from the aerodynamic configuration. 6.The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 5, wherein the resilient strutis made of composite materials.
 7. The resilient aerodynamic skirt ofclaim 5, wherein the resilient strut bends in an arcuated shape.
 8. Theresilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 5, wherein the resilient strut hasa constant section.
 9. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 5,wherein the resilient strut is a composite rod.
 10. The resilientaerodynamic skirt of claim 5, wherein the resilient strut is pivotallyconnected to the skirt panel at a first end thereof.
 11. The resilientaerodynamic skirt of claim 5, wherein the resilient strut is disposed atan angle between a floor of the trailer and the skirt panel.
 12. Theresilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 11, wherein the angle of theresilient strut forms an angle of between 10 degrees and 70 degrees withthe skirt panel.
 13. The resilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 5, whereinthe resilient strut is a plurality of resilient struts.
 14. Theresilient aerodynamic skirt of claim 5, wherein the resilient strut isin an aerodynamic configuration when the load applied thereon isprovided by air pressure routed by the skirt panel and is adapted tobend when the load applied thereon is provided by a physical contactwith a foreign object.
 15. A method of installing a resilient skirtassembly on a trailer, the method comprising: securing a skirt panel tothe trailer; and securing at least one resilient strut between thetrailer and the skirt panel, the at least one resilient strutmaintaining the skirt panel in an aerodynamic configuration, the atleast one resilient strut allowing the skirt panel to bend away from theaerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object and torecover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter.
 16. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the at least one resilient strut is secured at anangle between the trailer and the skirt panel.
 17. The method of claim15, further comprising stressing the skirt panel to bend the at leastone resilient strut and bend the skirt panel.
 18. A resilient skirtassembly kit comprising: a skirt panel adapted to be disposed on atrailer to aerodynamically route air along the trailer; and a pluralityof resilient struts adapted to secure the skirt panel to the trailer.19. The kit of claim 18, wherein at least some of the resilient strutsare made of composite materials.
 20. The kit of claim 18, wherein theskirt panel is adapted to be installed on the trailer in an aerodynamicconfiguration and is adapted to resiliently bend away from theaerodynamic configuration.